At the end of a brief online video promoting an Illinois agency’s training summit, the picture faded to black and, several second later, a pornographic clip appeared.
Emails obtained by The Associated Press show the Illinois Emergency Management Agency scrambling in late August to disable the video, and its chief of staff ordering an investigation into how the salacious footage was added.
Officially, the agency, whose conference last month included a session on cyber security, insists no one “hijacked” the website to tag the lewd material onto the end of director James Joseph’s video invitation promoting the summit in Springfield. Agency spokeswoman Patti Thompson blames the foul-up on an unfortunate but random circumstance created by YouTube, the platform storing the IEMA clip, which was ultimately viewed more than 900 times.
Initially, Thompson said under YouTube’s design, the pornographic feature automatically loaded as the random “next choice” following the IEMA video. Later she said that when Brooks responded to Ricker’s order, he found that what followed IEMA’s video was a choice of four other videos, featured in “thumbnail” photos.
Thompson said Brooks didn’t review the offerings for lewd material. Rather, he unchecked a box allowing suggested follow-up videos and set the system to return the IEMA video to its beginning, Thompson said.
* As anybody who has ever posted a YouTube video embed knows, you’re offered a few choices…
I almost always uncheck the “show suggested video” feature whenever I post a video.
So the real story here is the hilarious cluelessness of some folks at IEMA.
The Citizens United ruling paved the way for the rise of superPACs and so-called social welfare groups, like the Illinois Policy Institute’s advocacy wing, and they’ve both steadily proliferated.
Now, Citizens United is shorthand for the U.S. Supreme Court decision that lifted restrictions on what businesses and unions could spend on campaigns. But the case stems from a nonprofit corporation, Citizens United , which showed its 90-minute anti-Hillary Clinton documentary in theaters in 2008, and then wanted to make it available in voters’ homes as a video-on-demand. It was that that eventually resulted in the landmark campaign finance decision.
[Kristina Rasmussen, the President of Illinois Policy Action] says she believes this is the first time a political documentary like this has been done on the state level.
Already, she says people are pitching ideas for future documentaries.
* The Question: Your pick for the next “documentary” subject?
The death of a Mount Prospect mother of five who was struck and killed by an SUV while riding her bike in a local crosswalk is prompting the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office to add a new entry to the 2017 publication of the official “Rules of the Road.”
While the entry has yet to be written, it will explain to drivers that when the crosswalk signal is activated and the lights are flashing, they need to stop until pedestrians and bicyclists have safely crossed the road.
Joni Beaudry, 55, was hit on June 9 while riding her bike at Central Road and Weller Lane. In the wake of Beaudry’s death, some Mount Prospect residents have alleged the new crosswalk signal being used in Illinois and across the U.S. is confusing and dangerous.
That prompted one state representative to seek its inclusion in the free “Rules of the Road” manual, generally used by driver’s education students or those studying for an Illinois driver’s license. It is available in print and online.
Dave Drucker, a spokesman for the Illinois Secretary of State’s office, confirmed the new entry for 2017 and says the office is grateful to Illinois State Rep. David Harris for making the request for change.
Harris, who passes the crosswalk twice daily on his way to his office, said the new entry is a must for drivers to be aware of the crosswalk signal.
“I thought, ‘my gosh.how are drivers supposed to know about it?’” Harris said.
Since the death of Mount Prospect resident Joni Beaudry, 55, on June 9, residents of the area have found the current crosswalk signal to be confusing and argued it’s dangerous and should be removed.
Shaun Dawson, AFSCME Local 2073 president for Logan Correctional Center, said that an average of 24 assaults on employees take place there each month and that some have resulted in employee hospitalization and long-term injuries.
Logan has a total population of 1,808 female inmates at minimum-, medium- and maximum-security levels.
The union claims that 340 attacks have taken place there in the last 20 months and that those incidents make the prison the second-most-dangerous corrections institution in the state. They attribute the violence to an increased number of inmates with severe mental illnesses housed there.
Correctional officer Chelsea Wilshusen, 25, of Springfield said that she has seen issues with inmate behavior worsen in the course of her two years at the prison. […]
Wilshusen added that disciplinary tickets issued in incidents involving inappropriate inmate behavior have often “disappeared” without resulting in corrective action.
The Department of Corrections denies claims that staff assaults aren’t taken seriously.
* A new AFSCME ad that I’ve seen on social media features an injured DoC employee talking about the problems at prisons and how inmates attacked her…
That video has over 200,000 views, and as we’ve discussed before, YouTube is far more reliable about tracking its video views than Facebook.
*** UPDATE *** Provided on background by IDoC…
· The IDOC has graduated 1,536 new cadets since Governor Rauner entered office. There are an additional 135 in the Academy right now.
· The IDOC has hired 53 additional security staff and 20 additional mental health professionals at Logan CC since October 2015.
· When you account for attrition, from September 2015 to September 2016, the IDOC full time employee count is UP by 185 employees; and UP by 40 employees at Logan CC.
· While the staffing numbers are going up, the IDOC offender population is decreasing. There were 48,214 on January 12, 2015, the day Governor Rauner was sworn in. The offender population as of yesterday, October 17th, 2016 was 44,126.
· As for Alanea’s story, in the ad, please refer to the attached memo, which explains what prompted the staff assault at Pontiac CC, which she is referring to. It is protocol for staff to leave the shakedown slip on the offender’s bed when they remove contraband from his or her cell. This particular lieutenant decided to hand the offender his shakedown slips, identifying the items that were removed from his cell, face-to-face, while he was unrestrained.
* Steve Daniels at Crain’s takes a look at ComEd’s highly controversial proposal to charge consumers based on high-demand usage…
ComEd and parent Exelon are hoping for passage next month of wide-ranging energy legislation that would include ComEd’s new delivery-rate system, as well as subsidies for two Exelon-owned nuclear plants that it otherwise will close, and a host of environmental provisions.
That measure has been the subject of behind-the-scenes talks between the power industry, consumer groups, environmental groups and renewable-energy developers. A compromise bill hasn’t yet surfaced.
“The burden will be even greater if you live paycheck to paycheck or on a fixed income,” the letter said. “A single hour’s careless electricity use can cause an unexpected bill spike that puts energy or other essential expenditures out of reach.”
In an interview, ComEd Senior Vice President Val Jensen said the utility is negotiating with consumer groups and others on changes that should prevent many consumers from seeing unanticipated monthly spikes in their electric bills. As proposed, the measure would set delivery charges based on a household’s usage during the highest-demand day of the previous month. ComEd has agreed to set rates based on a household’s average usage during the highest-demand hours of business days over the previous month, he said.
The new system should result in lower rates for nearly 80 percent of low-income customers in ComEd’s territory, even if they do nothing at all, Jensen said. That, of course, leaves more than 20 percent who would see higher rates—not a small percentage.
And therein lies the political problem. Such a dramatic change by definition creates winners and losers, and lawmakers (along with the utility) will be the ones whom the losers blame for their higher bills. […]
So how can consumers keep their bills low if their rates aren’t set based on how much juice they consume in a month?
They must take greater care to use fewer appliances and devices that run on electricity when the weather is really hot or really cold during the day, he said. For example, it would be wise not to wash clothes or run dishwashers or leave lights on while air conditioners are running in the middle of the day.
I gotta figure that people will really hate this idea.
* Related…
* Nuclear Power: What it means in Illinois: NPRE and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, North America’s Building Trades Unions, are co-sponsoring the informational forum, Nuclear Power: What it means in Illinois, to be held Tuesday, October 18, 2016, in Chicago’s Bilandic Building. A host of national policy leaders will outline the sustainability and economic impacts of nuclear energy in the state, particularly in light of recent proposed closures of Illinois-based nuclear generation plants. Viewing of the event as it takes place will be made possible through a live webcast. The forum is partially suppported by the NSF PIRE: “Nuclear Energy Systems and Materials under Extreme Conditions.”
Today, Democrat Brad Schneider released a new television advertisement featuring and narrated by Barack Obama.
Speaking straight into the camera, Obama reminds viewers of the high stakes in this election and urges them to vote for Schneider to protect Medicare and Social Security, pass commonsense gun safety legislation, and protect women’s rights.
“It is a true honor to have the support of Barack Obama and I am incredibly grateful for his help communicating our message,” said Schneider. “From equality to expanding healthcare, I am committed to protecting the progress we have made over the last eight years, and I look forward to working with Hillary Clinton to build on Obama’s legacy by finally passing comprehensive immigration reform and commonsense gun safety legislation.”
The ad begins airing widely this week on broadcast television and online.
Barack Obama: This is not your typical election. It’s not just a choice between parties or policies. It’s about who we are as a people.
Vote for Brad Schneider and the Democrats. So we can keep America’s promise to our seniors. Protect our kids and our cops from gun violence. And preserve a woman’s right to choose.
Join me. Reject cynicism and fear. Reach for what we know is possible. Support Brad Schneider and the Democrats.
* Gov. Rauner was asked by a social services provider yesterday what will happen when the stopgap budget expires…
First, the governor repeated his long-standing pledge that “what I won’t do is raise taxes and have no reforms and no changes. I won’t do it.”
Then he pushed back on what he called “spin . . . that I’m heartless, I don’t care about the most vulnerable.”
“Baloney,” Rauner said. “Many, many of the agencies that have been hurt, including my wife’s work, I personally have donated, I’m a huge supporter, huge advocate. I don’t want to cut your service. I’m just trying to bring some principle and some discipline to the process.”
Next, Rauner said he had offered up a number of reform ideas and was looking for agreement on some combination of those ideas in exchange for a broader budget deal.
“Pick your reforms. I would do it for just a few. How about term limits and fair maps and workers’ comp reform?” Rauner asked. “Pick two or three. I’ve laid out 15. Pick any of them. But let’s pick something.”
Incumbent State Rep. Peter Breen, R-Lombard, didn’t seem eager to talk about Trump.
“I have not gotten involved in this presidential election,” Breen told the crowd. “I’ve really stuck to more of my local races. I usually only endorse when I can make a difference in the race and when I know the folks.”
The question also came up in the state senate race in DuPage County, in which Republican Seth Lewis is challenging incumbent State Sen. Tom Cullerton, D-Villa Park. Lewis had a similar answer to Breen.
“I believe our state problems are far different than our national problems, so I’m just going to refrain and say I’m focused on Illinois and becoming our next elected state senator here in Illinois,” Lewis said.
President Obama won DuPage in 2008 and 2012, and Trump likely isn’t going to outperform the two previous candidates. But because Trump’s been doing his best Charlie Sheen impersonation lately, candidates are asked about the top of the ticket far more than they were during the last two cycles.
And, as Tony points out, it’s not an easy question for GOP incumbents and candidates (and the governor) because some of Trump’s fiercest supporters could turn against anybody on the ballot who won’t get in line and because some Republicans just don’t like the man.
* This seems like a reasonable move by the clinic, considering the position it’s been put in by this impasse…
Several thousand Springfield Clinic patients who are insured through the state’s health plans will be asked to pay hundreds of dollars in co-payments, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs that the clinic hadn’t tried to collect the past 1½ years.
The clinic normally waits to bill patients their share of the total cost after it receives payment for the majority of the cost from the State Employee Group Insurance Program.
But with payments for certain plans at a virtual standstill during the ongoing state budget crisis, and with Springfield Clinic owed a $68 million, the clinic has decided to ask patients to pay their share of bills regardless of whether the state’s share has been paid.
The clinic’s requests for payment will apply to medical services provided from this point forward, as well as for Springfield Clinic claims that have remained unpaid by the state for the past 12 to 18 months, according to a letter the clinic sent to about 5,000 patients last week.
